Prayer for the Sick: How to Perform Sujood When Unable to Sit

Guidelines for Performing Sujood While Praying on the Side

Question: A sick woman cannot sit, neither on a chair not on the ground. She can perform Ruku (bowing), but how should she perform Sujood (prostration)? How much should she bend, and where should she place her hands?

Answer: In Sahih Bukhari, it is narrated by Imran bin Husain (may Allah be pleased with him) that he had hemorrhoids, so he asked the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) about the prayer. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Pray standing, and if you cannot, then sit, and if you cannot do even that, then on your side.” (Bukhari: 1117)

From this hadith, we learn that a person who cannot pray standing or sitting should pray lying on their side. Therefore, a woman who, due to illness, cannot pray standing or sitting on the ground should pray on her right side. The method is as follows: lie on the right side with the face towards the Qibla, fold the hands on the chest for Qiyam (standing position), then for Ruku, raise the hands and place them back, bow slightly, and for Sujood, bow more than for Ruku as much as possible. In this position, the hands should be on the thighs, or if that is not possible, place them on the ground. Similarly, place the hands in the same manner during Tashahhud and fold them on the chest during Qiyam. Complete the prayer by turning the head to the right and left for Salam. For a sick person, the matter of moving the hands and bowing the head is according to their ability. If the patient cannot move, then indicating with the head is sufficient for the prayer.

Sheikh Maqbool Ahmed Salafi (may Allah preserve him)

❪Jeddah Dawah Center, Hayy Al-Salamah – Saudi Arabia❫